Bible Study in The Books Store

Amazon.com Exclusive: A Letter From Carl Amari, Producer of The Word of Promise

Dear Friends,

I am very excited for you all to experience The Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible. It has been a true labor of love and I’m thrilled that it has finally released.

I would like to take a few minutes to share with you how The Word of Promise came to be. As a young man, I was introduced to and intrigued by recordings of old radio shows. Long before the advent of TV, people were entertained by radio mysteries, comedies and dramas. These stories were presented by actors, complete with sound effects and music enhancing the experience. The imagination, which we have all but forgotten today, was totally engaged.

While in college, I started a company to market these audio gems of the past. In only a few years, Radio Spirits became the largest seller and marketer of classic radio shows in the world.

Then during the filming of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ I visited the set in Rome. Seeing first hand what Mel was creating, and encountering his vision for the film, made a profound and lasting impression on me.

One night, over two years ago, while reading to my children from the Bible, the vision of a dramatized version of the Bible began to take shape in my heart. Why not engage the powerful medium of audio to impact lives with the Word of God as the radio shows from yesterday impacted me as a child? We could reach more people.

Only a few years later and by the profound grace of God, the combined efforts of an incredibly talented group of artisans have brought forth an audio New Testament that I believe will stand the test of time. I've never been more excited or passionate about a project and I want to thank God and everyone who has touched this in their own unique way...especially you. Savor these eternal words "which will not pass away" and may many blessings be yours as a result.

God Bless,

Carl Amari
CEO, Falcon Picture Group
Producer, The Word of Promise

The Voices of Promise

Excerpt: Taking the Place of Barrabas (Matthew 27.15-25)

Excerpt: Jesus Dies on the Cross (Matthew 27.51-56)

In this short, powerful book, multimillionaire and bestselling author Steven K. Scott reveals King Solomon’s breakthrough strategies to achieve a life of financial success and personal fulfillment.

Steve Scott flunked out of every job he held in his first six years after college. He couldn’t succeed no matter how hard he tried. Then Dr. Gary Smalley challenged him to study the book of Proverbs, promising that in doing so he would achieve greater success and happiness than he had ever known. That promise came true, making Scott a millionaire many times over.

In The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, Scott reveals Solomon’s key for winning every race, explains how to resolve conflicts and turn enemies into allies, and discloses the five qualities essential to becoming a valued and admired person at work and in your personal life. Scott illustrates each of Solomon’s insights and strategies with anecdotes about his personal successes and failures, as well as those of such extraordinary people as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Steven Spielberg.

At once inspiring and instructive, THE RICHEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED weaves the timeless truths of one of our greatest works of literature into a detailed roadmap for successful living today.

"A fascinating and provocative work. Joel has definitely expanded the frontiers in the ongoing exploration of the relationship between Islam and the rest of the world. A must read for priests and pastors, students and lay readers everywhere. Bravo!"
-Robert Spencer, Author of Islam Unveiled and The Politically Inncorrect Guide to Islam, Director of Jihad Watch.com

"In an era and an age where ambiguity reigns, Joel Richardson has written a book that is clear, well researched, and to the point. Few people in the Christian community have the courage to study world religions, much less invest themselves in it as he has done. Do yourself a favor; get this book, read this book, live out the truths that you pull out of it. It is worth your time, and more importantly, souls hang in the balance."
-Dr. Ergun Caner, Dean, Liberty Theological Seminary, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA

"This book definitely provides a fresh look at Bible Prophecy in light of current affairs with the global rise of Islamic Fundamentalism. Not only does Joel accurately analyze Islamic doctrines and practices, but his interpretation of biblical prophecy is also solid - soundly adhering to the accepted rules of hermeneutics."
-Walid Shoebat, Former Palestinian Terrorist, Author of Why I Left Jihad.

Never before has a publisher illuminated the Bible with such an array of striking, even provocative contemporary photographs. Wrapped in an arresting cover, Bible Illuminated: The Book: New Testament presents The Bible in a full-color, glossy magazine format, set in running text with no verses, inviting readers to step into the Bible and experience it in a whole new way.

The Book, using the Good News Translation as approved by the American Bible Society, will introduce believers and non-believers to a culturally relevant, accessible Bible and will encourage dialogue between people from all walks of life.

When was the last time you picked it up and read it?

Learn More About Bible Illuminated: The Book

(See a larger view of pages from The Book when you click on any of the images following in this section.)

Who created The Book?

The company that created The Book is called Illuminated World. The co-founder and creative visionary for the Bible Illuminated is Dag Söderberg, former CEO of one of the largest advertising firms in Scandinavia. Dag's passion for photography and innovative design helped with the creative direction of such a huge undertaking. He loves art and finding unique ways to present traditional things in a non-traditional way, a part of his advertising background that definitely shaped The Book and ultimately its look and feel. His vision from the beginning was to re-brand the Bible for a consumer audience but remain true to the text (which is why The Book uses the standard Good News Translation).

What is the goal of publishing The Book?

There is no religious mission behind The Book. We believe that its success will be driven by the fact that this is not coming from any specific faith, religion or church. We are from many faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs; ultimately we are trying to create something for the many and not just for the few. The goal is to drive an emotional reaction and get people to think, discuss and share. It's meant to trigger bigger moral questions that will in turn help people to understand the common heritage between all religions through the Bible's text. We hope people will find the images, design and layout intriguing—intriguing enough to talk about the actual stories in the Bible and what the morals and lessons mean to them. The more you know, the more you can participate in discussions about the world and understand the bigger picture.

What does The Book look like?

Bible Illuminated:The Book looks like a high-end magazine. It presents the New Testament as it's never been seen before in full-color, glossy format, illustrated throughout with striking, sometimes provocative, contemporary photographs. It is meant to be comfortable and easy to flip through and used as you would use any Bible. There are no verses and the text runs with columns and paragraphs just like in a magazine.

Who is Illuminated World trying to reach with The Book?

The Book is meant for anyone and everyone. It is for people who currently own a Bible but never read it, people who don't own a Bible or would never even consider picking it up, as well as people who currently read or use the Bible, but want to experience this new, innovative design.

What do the highlighted passages and sentences mean?

The meaning of these passages is open to readers. We highlighted and underlined passages throughout The Book as a way to draw the reader's attention and provide an opportunity for reflection.

What should people do with The Book?

We want people to be able to flip through the pages and find something that they relate to, whether it's an image of a war-torn soldier or homeless person, a celebrity or an endangered animal—or a certain passage paired with a powerful image that resonates with them.